


Collision

by Shatterpath



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Student/Teacher, F/F, Flirting, Kid Tony Stark, Primary School
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-05
Updated: 2015-07-05
Packaged: 2018-04-07 17:57:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4272675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shatterpath/pseuds/Shatterpath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She knew she wasn't supposed to rush in the halls, it set a bad example to the children. Still, it was worth it in the end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Collision

**Author's Note:**

> ‘we were both late to class and walked into each other in the hall and oh god do you have a concussion? i’m so sorry’ au  
> I was seized with the urge to try this AU idea out and I love how this came out! It turns out I forgot to finish this for the Femslash Calendar (oops!) so I'll put it up now.

The blow came out of nowhere, a collision of flesh and bone and a high-pitched shriek. With quick reflexes, Peggy moved with the blow that rocked her skull and left shoulder back, twisting to absorb the energy and shove her assailant away. Blinking her eyes back into focus, she remained alert and with discretely defensive body language.

"Oh shit! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

Ignoring the strewn papers everywhere, the strange woman stood, ignoring Peggy's flinch, and her hands were cool and soothing against her aching face.

"Nailed you right on the cheekbone, didn't I?"

The wry humor broke through much of Peggy's defensiveness, her body relaxing. "You're fairly small for a football hooligan."

The sweet face wreathed into a delighted, sunny smile. "The reflexes? The lovely accent? You must be Tony's aunt. He's hardly been able to keep his fanny is his chair all day from excitement."

"That does sound like the lad, yes. Wait. Are you Miss Angie?"

"I am."

"Well, when the little flirt waxed poetic over you, I thought it was merely boyish ambition when he spoke about how pretty you are."

That earned a laugh as sunny as the smile. "I see the charm doesn't just come from his slick father."

The mock scowl hurt her aching cheekbone, but at least it was a dull roar now. "Normally, I would be offended to be compared to Howard, but that I've had any influence over Tony can only be a good thing."

"You're secret is--"

"Miss Martinelli! What on earth has happened now?" An unwelcome voice broke into their strange little interaction and Angie nearly jumped clean out of her skin. But she never got a chance to speak as Peggy's smooth accent broke in.

"Good day, Missus Fry. I'm afraid I've been dreadfully clumsy and knocked Miss Martinelli for a loop. We were just collecting her things, weren't we?"

Flummoxed, Angie shook off her shock at the principal's unwanted presence and finally stepped away from the Englishwoman's personal space to kneel. The headache now pounding above her eyes was not going to make for a pleasant day in the presence of her students, but her tendency to always be in a rush could have only led her here eventually. As the two woman crouched to gather scattered papers, Angie couldn't help but sigh to herself.

Just... why did her inadvertent victim have to be so infernally attractive?

Quickly escaping Mrs. Fry, they paused around the corner where Peggy's briefcase was laying on its side. Both going for the thing nearly made them collide again, Peggy flinching back, her expression wry when Angie jumped up.

"I almost gotcha again, didn't I?"

"There is a certain bouncy enthusiasm about you, yes."

"The kids love it. C'mon English, let's go make our disheveled grand entrance!"

Swanning off dramatically, Angie earned a throaty chuckle and they quickly arrived at a classroom of boisterous youngsters. "Hello kids!" Angie expertly waded through the chaos and dropped her mess on her desk to focus on the children. "We have a visitor! Tony?"

That got the boy's attention and he lit up like a miniature sun. "Aunt Peggy!"

She would be lying if she said she didn't love the absolute adoration of his regard. Handing off the mess of additional papers, Peggy crouched to catch the running hug, standing to whirl the lad around. "It's so good to see you, Tony."

"You came!"

"I promised, did I not?"

"You did. Thank you, Aun' Peggy."

When it was clear the boy needed to cling, Angie immediately began wrangling the excited children into some semblance of order with a mix of charm and steely will. Tony laid against his aunt, head on her shoulder and toying with a lock of dark hair as she cradled his increased weight.

"You've grown so much since Christmas, m'boy."

"That was forever ago! An' what happened to your face?"

Of course the question was asked just as the class of first graders fell quiet. Miss Angie's glance over her shoulder reflected Peggy's amused consternation. "Well, Tony, now that you've brought it up, your teacher and I got an early start on the demonstration. She's much tougher than she looks."

Wide-eyed, the boy looked sharply at Angie, who played along and raised her hands up in a ridiculous boxer stance and an even more ridiculous tough expression.

"You took out my Aunt Peggy?" His awe was hilarious and Angie had to laugh as Peggy set him down.

"Don't tell, but we clonked heads in the hallway."

The whole class giggled at that.

"That said," she raised her voice only a fraction, but the children focused on her again. "This would be an excellent time for Tony to make introductions."

And that was how Peggy found herself talking about self-defense and how to avoid bullying to a class of rapt six year olds. It was a balancing act between giving them some pointers without the whole thing devolving into cartoon violence, but the two women managed. The bloom of purple bruises on Peggy's cheekbone and Angie's forehead spoke silent volumes for the children to take care.

Hours later, the class was winding up their day in a noisy scrum of bodies and backpacks and Peggy fought the urge to sprawl in exhaustion where she perched in Angie's borrowed chair. "I cannot fathom how you do this day after day. I've been involved in police actions that have left me less knackered."

Chuckling, Angie shot her an amused look from the corner of her eye as her attention was on the students. "You made my job easy today. Which hardly seems fair after I tried to brain ya."

The New York accent slipped out at odd moments and Peggy found it strangely charming. Giving in to the urge to slouch a bit, Peggy idled her time waiting for Tony in watching the young woman look over the brood of excitable kids. It was clear she was a favorite with them. Some of the imps even spoke with Peggy, asking silly children's questions and yelling happy goodbyes. But Tony was the only one she really had eyes for, welcoming him into her lap for loving cuddles. Neither of them even noticed that quiet had finally fallen, they were wrapped up in talking quietly together. Angie hated to interrupt the sweet tableau, but the day was over and all parties needed to shuffle off. Before she could say anything, Tony sat up suddenly and his voice rose above a murmur.

"I still can't believe my teacher knocked ya down, Aunt Pegs."

Angie couldn't contain a sputter of laughter at his audaciousness and the mock sour look his aunt leveled at him. "Well, it was an entirely unexpected ambush, Tony."

Now Angie had to laugh for real at his expected cheek. "Tell the truth, English, I mowed you down like a sapling. Which, thank you, by the way, for not handing me off to Mrs. Fry. I'm not supposed to be rushing in the halls. Bad example for the children."

The stage whisper on the last sentence made Tony giggle and slide down from his perch to grab his things. 

"A sapling, Miss Angie?" 

"Okay, a full-grown tree then."

Tony's chainsaw noise got him grabbed and tickled while Angie laughed and gathered her things to walk them out. Pulling at the two women's hands, Tony led the way, rambling on about the fun he and Peggy would have during her visit.

"Jarvis isn't here."

The resignation in Tony's voice irked Peggy, but Angie only smiled. "You know he runs late all the time. Go ahead and leave you things at the bench and run off some of that energy."

"You'll wait, Aunt Peggy?"

He was so anxious that Peggy crouched to hug him tightly. "Of course, dear boy. I'm not letting you out of my sight any time soon. Go play and Miss Angie can keep me company for a bit."

"No more hitting!" He laughed and raced off for the little play area, good mood restored.

"Cheeky lad," Peggy chuckled and wandered over to a nearby bench to sit in the shade. "Gets it from his rouge of a father, bless them both."

"Yeah, rouge is a good word for Howard Stark," Angie chuckled and sat beside the Englishwoman. "Are you really his sister?"

"Not in blood, but for reasons I've never fully understood, I love the idiot like a brother. And his boy there is just like him, with a bit of his lovely mother stirred in, thank god."

"And a bit of you too, I can see it. He really adores you."

"It's mutual, the little ruffian. I only wish I could see him more."

"International woman of mystery, huh?"

Peggy's grin was warm, but secretive, revealing nothing. Despite herself, Angie was fascinated by the whole beautiful, mysterious package. Peggy for her part, felt a sense of strange connection with this sunny woman whose shadows did not cling so darkly to her. 

"Oh, perhaps a bit of international and mystery," Peggy teased. "To be around him more, I'd almost trade it in for a slice of normalcy such as this."

"It's exhausting but worth it. You?"

"Hmmm, sometimes I wonder. But the lad certainly likes being in the class. He rambles on when I get a chance to talk with him on the phone."

With a slow, warm smile, Angie took in the watchdog eyes and lap dog posture of the enigmatic stranger. She was definitely the most interesting thing to cross her life in a very long time in the snooty primary school mostly full of parents with more money than real appeal.

"You were a nice change today, English." Trying not to be horrified at how goofy and flirtatious she sounded, Angie dropped her eyes and sat up more lady-like instead of her dreamy-teen slouch. "Particularly after I tried to take your head off."

Intrigued all over again, Peggy found herself grinning. "It was quite the first impression."

Shooting her a playful side-eye, Angie couldn't resist sassing, "impression being the key word."

There was no feigning the burst of merriment that rang across the quiet grounds, making Tony look over to see his normally quiet aunt, head thrown back and laughing from the soul out. Miss Angie looked completely charmed and started to giggle along. Grownups were so weird, but these were two of his favorites and that gave Tony an idea.

The arrival of a sleek, blue Morgan was timed perfectly and had Tony racing over to bow to the women and gesture grandly at the fancy car. "Your chariot, ladies."

They were both delighted with the boy and stood to go their separate ways, but Angie found herself flummoxed when Peggy abruptly turned to her. "Would you join us? As my guest? If being at the Stark home would be awkward, I can easily suggest a restaurant for the lot of us."

The look of pure, boyish disgust on Tony Stark's sweet little face made Peggy give him a puzzled look and Angie to choke on a laugh.

"You're terrible at this, Aunt Peggy."

That made the Englishwoman physically startle and Angie could not contain her merriment for one more second, her laughter echoing around the grounds.

"Wait! Tony, you scamp, I wasn't implying.." Peggy spluttered, embarrassed pink rushing up her neck and cheeks to replace the lingering flush from the laughter while her nephew continued to look utterly unimpressed. Feeling oddly glib and at ease seeing the shy glance of those deeply brown eyes, Angie stood and offered a hand to Tony before she leaned over to speak quietly to Peggy.

"And for the sake of argument? Dinner with you? I would have said yes."

Straightening up, Angie beamed winningly at Tony, who was pleased to make her smile so warmly.

"Sure, I'll join you and your family for dinner, handsome, why not? Lead on!"

Peggy followed meekly, wondering exactly what sort of trouble she'd bought into.


End file.
